How to Survive a Tire Blowout

It goes without saying that a tire blowout would be a nightmarish scenario for most people. Visions of your vehicle swerving erratically out of control can easily flash through your mind, but fortunately, there are some simple safety measures you can keep in mind that will help you know exactly what to do in the event of a tire blowout. The cool thing is that it’s a lot less complicated than you think–read on to discover how to survive a tire blowout.

Keep Calm and Drive On
If you’ve ever seen the famous internet meme “Keep Calm and Carry On“, you should commit it to memory, because that’s pretty much all you have to do in the event of a blowout at highway speed. Yes, it’s easier said than done–especially when you’re in a real-life scenario where split-second decisions can make the difference between safety and harm–but if you just keep that simple phrase at the forefront of your thinking, you stand a much better chance of getting out of the situation without harm to you or anyone else. In fact, the best thing you can do if your tire blows out is to simply keep calm and keep driving straight down your lane.

This definitely runs counter to every instinct in your body; the natural tendency for most people is to hit the brakes hard and then jerk the wheel to one side in order to get off the road as fast as possible. While this may seem like the reflexive thing to do, it can produce the entirely wrong result–in fact, the laws of physics almost guarantee that you’ll do more harm than good by braking or pulling the wheel to one side when a tire goes out. You could spin out, or just completely lose control of the vehicle.

The Counter-Intuitive Response That Actually Works
This is going to sound completely crazy, but instead of braking, lightly press the accelerator; this will actually help to stabilize the vehicle, and it will keep you from deferring to those instincts that are screaming “Slam on the brakes!!!” If you’re worried about accelerating with a blown tire, don’t–the drag created by your now-defunct tire will cause the car to slow down all on its own. Pushing the accelerator will do little more than help you slow down a lot less suddenly. Once you’ve done this, just keep driving straight down your lane–no swerving, braking or out-of-control maneuvering–until your vehicle is almost at a complete stop. Then, simply ease onto the shoulder. This calm, calculated response will do much more to keep you safe than listening to your instincts that are screaming for you to do otherwise. Stay safe out there!

If you think you have faulty tires or feel they are too worn to be safe or could lead to a dangerous tire blowout visit Morgantown, Virginia’s quality Tire Shop at Riverside Automotive – 304- 241-1717.